1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to RF cable connector assemblies, and especially to RF cable connector assemblies which have means for preventing damage to connectors thereof during coupling of the connectors.
2. Description of the Related Art
A radio frequency (RF) cable connector assembly generally includes a plug connector and a complementary receptacle connector. The plug connector has a male central contact, and the receptacle connector has a female central contact to engage with the male central contact.
Typical connectors in RF cable connector assemblies are very small. Therefore components of the connectors, and particularly the central contacts, are delicate.
In particular, if the central contacts are not aligned with each other upon mating of the connectors, the central contacts are easily damaged. If the central contacts are mated at an angle, the male contact cannot properly engage with the female contact. The male contact may exert lateral force on the female contact. The female contact and also the male contact may be damaged.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,707 discloses an RF cable connector assembly intended to solve the abovementioned problem. The RF cable connector assembly comprises a plug connector and a receptacle connector. The receptacle connector has a body, and a cylindrical skirt extending beyond a front end of the body. A distance d2 between a front end of the skirt and a front end of a central contact of the receptacle connector is equal to a distance d1 between a front end of a body of the plug connector and a front end of a central contact housed within the body.
However, because distance d1 equals distance d2, the central contacts engage as soon as the front end of the skirt of the receptacle connector bears on the front end of the body of the plug connector. Therefore, if the front end of the skirt of the receptacle connector is not correctly aligned with the front end of the body of the plug connector, there is still a risk that the central contacts of the connectors will be damaged.
In addition, the skirt of the receptacle connector is coupled to the body of the receptacle connector. This makes manufacture and assembly of the receptacle connector complicated and costly, particularly in view of the very small dimensions and high precision of the connector.
Furthermore, a bead is provided at a front end of a projecting barrel of the plug connector. Yet there is no suitable mechanism for guiding the projecting barrel of the plug connector to enter the skirt of the receptacle connector. Thus there is unduly high risk of the central contacts of the connectors being damaged during mating. Moreover, the shape of the bead does not allow firm engagement of the bead in a corresponding groove defined in the receptacle connector.
Hence it is desired to provide an RF cable connector assembly which can overcome the foregoing drawbacks of the related art.
A main object of the present invention is to provide an RF cable connector assembly which minimizes the risk of damage to connectors of the assembly during coupling of the connectors.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a cost efficient RF cable connector assembly that is easily assembled.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an RF cable connector assembly which has connectors that mate firmly and with good retaining force.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, an RF cable connector assembly in accordance with the present invention comprises a plug connector and a receptacle connector. The plug connector has a skirt formed in a front portion of a body thereof, and a socket with an annular raised bead. The receptacle connector has a shell, and a guide sleeve at a front of the shell. An internal groove is defined at a rear end of the guide sleeve, to engagingly receive the bead of the socket of the plug connector. A distance d2 between a front end of the guide sleeve and a front end of a female contact of the receptacle connector is greater than a distance d1 between the front end of the body and a front end of a male contact housed within the body.